Randy Hunt, local CPA and 5th Barnstable District Massachusetts state representative, regularly posts his points of view regarding local, regional and national issues. (Boring!) But most of the time he just writes humorous stories. No ads. No clutter. Everything is copyrighted by Randy Hunt. To replicate an article, just email for permission.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Prescription drug abuse bill hits the governor's desk

Will reduce doctor-shopping, fraud and increase treatment

BOSTON – August 9, 2012 – With a new state report finding that 12 Massachusetts residents die every week
from opiate-related overdoses serving as a backdrop, the House and Senate today
gave final approval to legislation that will reduce the number of people
abusing or selling prescription painkillers, while increasing opportunities for
those battling addiction to receive treatment.

The bill requires, among other steps,
that doctors, dentists and other practitioners conduct drug history screens for
new patients. It also creates a professional working group to recommend new
prescribing standards for painkillers, and requires all prescriptions for
painkillers -- such as OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin -- be written on
tamper-resistant pads.

“This bill
recognizes the role everyone has to play in battling this epidemic, from
doctors and pharmacists, to parents and patients,”
said the bill’s lead
sponsor, Sen. John F. Keenan (D-Quincy), co-chairman of the Joint Committee on
Mental Health and Substance Abuse. “It
consists of practical, common-sense strategies that will have a real, positive
impact.”

“You know we’ve got a
problem when drugs like these are responsible for more accidental deaths in
Massachusetts than motor vehicle accidents,” said Senate
President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth). “This was one
of our top priorities and I’m glad that we got this bill done. The abuse of these
drugs has devastating effects on individuals and families of every
socio-economic background. The costs are high, both to families and the
economy, not to mention the significant impact on public safety. This bill will
help save lives and keep us all safer.”

“This
legislation is a big step forward in dealing with the epidemic of prescription
drug abuse in the commonwealth,” said Rep.
Liz Malia (D-Jamaica Plain), the committee’s
House chairwoman. “Too many lives
have been lost and too many families have been destroyed. We are fortunate in
Massachusetts to have the leadership of Governor Patrick, Speaker DeLeo and
Senate President Murray, who truly appreciate how important it is for us to
rise to the challenges we have before us. Hopefully this legislation will open
the door to a better understanding of addiction and more effective ways of
education and prevention.”

“This bill
may well be the most important, life-saving legislation we've passed this
session," observed Rep. Randy Hunt (R-Sandwich). “My
thanks go out to all of the people who worked so hard to pull this together,
most especially to our committee chairmen and staff, those who work in the
field of addiction recovery, and individuals whose family members have been
affected by the nightmare of prescription drug addiction.”

“This is the
biggest step we have taken to combat the abuse of prescription drugs,”
said Rep. Marty Walsh (D-Dorchester). “I
want to thank the leadership of the House and Senate for pushing this
legislation, and I would like to commend all of the advocates who worked
tirelessly to pass this bill.”

The legislation includes a ban on
synthetic stimulants known as “bath salts.”

“I am
pleased that the House and Senate have acted upon this important piece of
legislation,” said Rep.
George Ross (R-Attleboro), who filed the original bath salts ban. “The
ingredients found in this hallucinogen produce a potentially dangerous narcotic
that is now readily available to anyone in Massachusetts. In passing this
legislation, the Commonwealth has taken a proactive approach to eliminating
this growing epidemic.”

A report released by the OxyContin
and Heroin Commission in 2009 found that Massachusetts has one of the nation’s
highest rates of opiate abuse, causing 3,265 deaths from 2002 to 2007 and
23,369 hospitalizations in 2006 alone. Last month, the state Department of
Public Health released a study that found that 627 Massachusetts residents had
died from opiate-related overdoses in 2009, the last year data was available.

The Patriot Ledger of Quincy reported
last month that 93 people from 10 small South Shore communities had died from
opiate-related overdoses between 2007 and 2011, and that 99 people had died in
Quincy, Braintree and Weymouth alone between 2009 and 2010.

The Drug Enforcement Agency reports
that Vicodin is the second-most abused drug by high school seniors, behind
marijuana. Local police chiefs estimate that opiate addiction is the leading
cause of property crime. Meanwhile, taxpayers are spending hundreds-of-millions
of dollars annually in costs associated with the epidemic –
including hospital visits, court appearances, jail time and social services.

Prescribers would automatically be
enrolled in the state’s
Prescription Monitoring Program when they renew their controlled substance
prescribing license. They will then be required to use the PMP to review a new
patient’s drug
history to ensure the patient is not doctor shopping for painkillers. Limited
exemptions from this requirement will be granted for emergency treatments, or
if the PMP system is inoperable. Currently, participation in the program is
voluntary, with only 1,800 out of 40,000 prescribers signed up. The bill also
allows licensed professional staff in the practitioner’s
office to conduct the screens, thereby not taking time away from patient
visits.

To promote awareness, the Department
of Public Health will be required to produce informational pamphlets explaining
addiction risks, signs of dependency, where to go for treatment, and ways to
safely store and discard drugs. The pamphlets will be distributed by pharmacies
with each prescription filled.

Pharmacies, drug distributors and
other relevant parties will also be required to alert local or state police
when reporting missing controlled substances to the Drug Enforcement
Administration. Under the bill, doctors and hospitals will be required to
notify a parent or guardian of any minor treated for drug overdose. Information
on substance abuse treatment options must also be provided, and a social worker
will be available for counseling prior to hospital discharge.

The legislation also requires all
prescriptions for controlled substances to be written on “secure”
forms, using special watermarks, serial numbers or micro-printing to be
determined by the Department of Public Health. This requirement is already in
place for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.

In addition, the bill forms a working
group of practitioners, nurses, and pain advocates to draft “best
practices” for the
use of prescription painkillers in the treatment of acute and chronic pain. The
commission of the Department of Public Health can then turn those
recommendations into regulations.

The bill also does the following:

•Restricts
pharmacists from filling out-of-state prescriptions for narcotics unless the
prescriptions were written by practitioners in the five contiguous states, plus
Maine;

•Requires
professional training for pharmacists on using the PMP as part of their
relicensure process;

•Restricts
MassHealth enrollees with a history of excessive use to one pharmacy;

•Allows
sheriffs to enter into a study on the effectiveness of medication-assisted
treatment for the successful transition of inmates back into society;

•Commissions
a study on substance abuse among seniors; and

•Mandates
professional training for court personnel and legal counsel on substance abuse
services available for those facing criminal charges.

According to Centers for Disease
Control, more people are overdosing on prescription pain killers (approximately
12,000 nationally in 2007) than on cocaine and heroin combined, with the number
of people needing emergency treatment for overdoses having tripled in the last
decade. Of the nearly 2 million emergency room visits nationally in 2009, almost
half involved prescription drug abuse.

1 comment:

Rant Hunt the peoples choice would you concider reaching out to your constiuences members of both the private sector and public services to support to start up a self surficiant sober living enviornments for the many hopeless members of our community. This plan includes fed, State,and county pre-release parolies and others who fit in certain criteria based on needs, this plan I have outlined with a mission statement as well as business plan that removes the many stumbling blocks they ae faced with as well instills excellence in thier performance and accountability with many proven models available, would you consider endorsing such a thing?

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About Me

A certified public accountant for 30 years, Randy has his practice in the beautiful, seaside town of Sandwich, Massachusetts.
Active in many local organizations, Randy is the state representative for the Barnstable & Plymouth District and advocates for conservation of Cape Cod, public safety and independence from foreign energy sources.